the four monarchies, and which constitute the kingdom of the saints, cannot be the limit of His sovereign authority who sits upon the throne; whilst, on the other hand, it may justly be supposed to be the extent of that dominion which is given to the saints, if, as may appear, these saints should be the people of the holy ones, or the Jewish nation, placed in juxta-position with those enemies who have been the avengers of the cause of God. To support this argument, it may be affirmed, that the judgment of the papal power takes place at the end of the 1260 years; an event obviously not yet arrived, because she still says, "Aha! I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow;" and "the great voice of the little horn" is even now sounding its tocsin of war. But there is a much more important period of 1290 years, on the expiration of which "the abomination which maketh desolate" is to be taken away (Dan xii. 11); and though commentators have chosen to couple that emphatic term with the Roman power, I feel compelled to enter my protest against it, and, without adducing proof at the present moment, would assert it of the Mohammedan power: and this consideration bears powerfully on the subject. The papal domination has not, however, "denied the Father and the Son;" and therefore, notwithstanding "the great voice of the little horn" speaking blasphemies, or its persecution of the saints, or its "thinking to change times and laws;" the characteristics of that power arbitrarily dictating its infallible decrees, it cannot be "THE ANTICHRIST." Assert it of the Mohammedan power, which has "trodden under foot the Son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant an unholy thing," by " exalting itself against the Prince of princes,' and desolating the world in propagating its impious tenets, in de CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 312. spite of "the Father and the Son," and the true character of anti-Christ may be decided; and its dreadful influence may yet, I think, be experienced by the inhabitants of Europe, and possibly of these British Isles ; an opinion which may be gathered from Rev. xiv. 8-12, if attentively compared with Rev. ix. 17, 18. But if the dragon," after his overthrow at the battle of Amageddon, and being then bound, is to be again loosed, that dragon, or Satan, is the eastern power, as now embodied in the Turkish Empire; for though said to be slain by Constantine, as his flatterers supposed, or as they courteously wished him to believe, he is afterwards unhappily found giving his western throne to the " Holy Roman Empire;" and acts in concert with that empire, at the end of 1260 years, against the Lamb, or the fifth empire, the Lamb being its symbol. Admitting then, as is the fact, that "the abomination of desolation" is to be taken away at the end of the 1290 days; which is an event subsequent to the papal judgment, and must consequently be a second judgment; where is that judgment to be found (most commentators agreeing that Gog and Magog are the Turks, whose power is now symbolically identified with "the dragon, or devil, or Satan, or the old serpent," all synonymous) but in the second judgment of St. John, when the Redeemer sits as GOD, upon the throne, because all judgment is committed to him, till all rule, and authority, and power, be brought into subjection to his Divine authority? And here I would join issue with all who assert the second advent of the Redeemer at any other period of time than the termination of Daniel's 1335 or or 1290 days, the former of these two eventful epochs being that of everlasting blessedness. Although a variety of other considerations might be brought to bear on the subject, I will not 5 A trespass on your pages longer than to observe, that the opening of the books on that occasion, or as in Rev. v, is the dissolution of the mystery of the sealed books; and therefore the abatement of the usurpation, whether it relate to the kingdom of "death and hell," or to the papal superstition and Mohammedan imposture; the reigning tyrannies of the fourth Roman empire, symbolised by the "deadlypale" horse, the last tyrannies which will ever establish themselves amongst the sons of men. Should it appear, that these remarks are founded on truth, the period of blessedness, and of " THE GLORY in the midst of his people," and consequently of the general judgment, must be nearer than many persons are inclined to believe; and "the coming of the Lord," in whatever sense that term is to be understood, must be close at hand. Where, therefore, is the Christian heart to be found, which in hallowed expectation of that awful event, does not respond, "Alleluia, for THE SELF-EXISTENT MIGHTY ONE reigneth?" NESHER. Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer. THE Conversion both of Jews and Gentiles is an object of such infinite consequence and such intense desire to every Christian mind, that it would be deeply lamentable if any of those benevolent persons who are more immediately engaged in the promotion of the one, should forget the importance of the other. I beg leave to transcribe on this subject, the following passage from the excellent "Practical Remarks on the Prophecies" of Mr. Bickersteth, as it seems to me to do impartial justice to both views of the question, and is the more to be admired in this respect, as coming from the pen of the secretary of the Church Missionary Society, whose intercourse with the larger masses of the Gentile world might have been supposed somewhat to diminish, in his view, the claims of the much smaller number of the outcasts of Israel. But nothing of this exclusive spirit is to be seen in Mr. Bickersteth's estimate; and may it never be found in any who advocate the spiritual claims, either of Jew or Gentile. Alas! the world of sin and misery is wide enough for both. Mr. Bickersteth says: "It is to be feared that some who are warm friends to missions among the heathen, have not sufficient faith with regard to efforts among the Jews, and think it almost a hopeless undertaking. But is not this directly contrary to the plain argument of the Apostle on this very point? They also, if they abide not in unbelief, shall be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree ?' (Rom. xi. 23, 24.) "The promised future conversion of the Jews, with its effects on the world, should both encourage our hopes and excite our labours for them. This duty is brought before us in the statement of God's design in their present unbelief: They have now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.' (Rom. xi. 31.) "There are other points respecting this subject on which Christians have been more divided, and to which it may be desirable briefly to advert. "The priority of the general conversion of the Jews to that of the Gentiles, has been much discussed. It appears to be left just in that obscurity in which it is in many respects desirable it should be, that Christians may not pay an exclusive attention to either, or la bour for the benefit of one, to the neglect of the other. Plausible arguments have been urged on both sides of the question. Are they not concurrent events? Only let us consider the vastness of the scene of labour, and the immense work to be accomplished, and we shall see how easily both may be advancing at the same time, and mutually promoting each other. Very small is at present the real church of Christ a very large progress may be made in the purification of the church, and the conversion of the world, before the Jews are gathered into the fold of Christ; and yet quite enough may be left, after their conversion, to realize the assured hope, that that event shall be as life from the dead to the world, On this point, then, let not the friend of the Jew or the Gentile use expressions which may have any tendency to damp that little flame of zeal, which as yet far too sparingly, and too partially, burns for the salvation of either. "The supposition that the Jews are to be the only eminently successful missionaries to the Gentiles, and those for whom the honour of their national conversion is reserved, does not appear to be adequately founded, if we regard either history or Scripture." A. B. Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer. ON reading, in your Number for September, a paper by CLERICUs, on the subject of confessing ourselves the chief of sinners, I was struck with some doubt respecting the perfect propriety of his sentiments, which have induced me to offer a few remarks upon them. Such, I believe, is the peculiar nature of Christian experience, that the holiest man will not think wholly inappropriate to himself the confession of the Apostle, "I am the chief of sinners:" but Clericus seems to think this essential to true Christianity; and here I cannot agree with him. St. Paul, it is true, does not say, I was the chief of sinners, but I am; yet it is evidently in respect of what he had formerly been, that he formed this judgment of himself; for he adds, "because I persecuted the church of God." And as we find no such declaration as that above referred to in the Epistles of any of the other Apostles, it is highly probable that we should not have met with it in St. Paul's, if it had not been for that crime of persecuting the church, the remembrance of which so much afflicted him. Self-righteousness is indeed most unequivocally condemned in the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican; but even here the former was condemned for professing himself to be righteous, and not because he did not confess himself the vilest of all sinners; and the latter was justified in consequence of penitently confessing himself a sinner, without professing himself to be the chief of sinners. The class of divines to which Dr. Waterland belongs, is not that which I should choose to consult for instruction in self-knowledge; but the passage from his commentary quoted by Clericus does not appear to me utterly indefensible, though I think it injudicious. One part of it seems exceptionable; the assertion" that there is nothing amiss in believing that we do go beyond many in our religious advances; this does indeed seem an unchristian sentiment: but Dr. W. adds, "when we have grounds sufficient for it;" and supposing it possible that we had certain means of knowing that we were farther than others, so far from its being unscriptural to believe it, it would be irrational not to do so. Even then the comparison would be no favourite subject of the Christian's contemplation: but the fact is, that no man can certainly know this of himself, and therefore he has no right to believe it.-As to the remainder of the passage, I do not see how we can wholly avoid making comparisons between ourselves and others; though doubtless true humility will dispose a man, in lowliness of mind, to prefer others to himself. When the humble and holy martyr Bradford once saw a man carrying to execution (I think this was the circumstance), he said, "There goes, but for the grace of God, John Bradford." Here was a comparison between himself and another, and a comparison evidently to his own advantage; yet, so far from being a mark of pride, this was an expression of his humility-a confession that the grace of God alone had made him to differ. Humility does not consist in thinking worse of ourselves than we really are, but in thinking justly of ourselves the great difficulty is to think little enough of supposed desert, and deeply enough of our actual demerit. St. Paul recommends "every man to think soberly of himself, as he ought to think, according to the measure of faith God hath given him;" and sobriety may be transgressed by exaggeration on the one hand, as well as by pride and vanity on the other; though certainly the latter is by far the more easy, the more common, and the more dangerous, error. that " Dr. Johnson certainly observed, every man is to look upon himself as the greatest sinner that he knows of;" but he does not say, "the greatest of all sinners." No man ought to point to another, and say, "I am less guilty than he;" but surely every man is not obliged to claim the preeminence over all in guilt. There may be pride disguised even in this; and many a man who does so would highly resent its being ascribed to him by another. most guilty, is as truly necessary for the least so; and awful is the least degree of guilt which any son of Adam has incurred; but, as an instance, I cannot think that a man, who, like Dr. Doddridge, seems to have been sanctified almost from his birth, is obliged to think himself a greater sinner than one who may have spent nearly all his life in open rebellion against God, and an avowed, contemptuous, rejection of Christianity, though at last brought in and made a subject of its blessings. Tenderness of conscience is a most desirable blessing; and the more holy a man is, the more acute will be the perception of his transgression. It is not therefore my wish to weaken any argument against deep humility, or to inva lidate any one caution against selfrighteousness; and I might not have ventured to send you these remarks, but that I think the sentiment on which they are made may in some cases be injurious I believe we are never more inclined to exaggerate our guilt, than when labouring under groundless despondency and dejection of mind, arising from distemper or any other cause; and a Christian who conceives a sense of being the vilest of sinners to be almost essential to real religion, but who does not feel that conviction when his mind is in a healthy state, may be apt to indulge this despondency and dejec tion, and perhaps even a settled me lancholy of disposition, for the sake of that persuasion which he deems necessary to the safety of his state, to the great injury of that zeal and fervour of piety which might other wise flourish in his heart and life; nay, it is possible this persuasion may form part of his dependence, and thus be doubly injurious to his soul. And in another point of view, penitent persons, who feel themselves to be sinners, and are heartily disposed to join in the Publi can's humble prayer, may be, and I believe often are, prevented, for a time at least, from making a direct application to the Saviour for pardon and justification, whilst waiting for what they deem the necessary conviction of their being the chief of sinners; a conviction which, I submit, is not necessary, and the want of which ought not to delay them for a moment. K. FAM. SERMONS.No. CCXXVIII. Hebrews xi. 14-16. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly if they had been mindful of that country from which they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country; that is, a heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city. "THEY that say such things;" that is, the things which the Apostle had just mentioned; namely, "that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth," that they looked for the fulfilment of the promises which God had made to them, which they were "persuaded of, and embraced," and concerning which they proved their faith by their conduct. The persons alluded to were the patriarchs of old, and more especially Abraham, of whom the Apostle had been particularly speaking. "By faith," he says, "Abraham sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Believing the declarations of God, he was content to have no abiding city upon earth, to dwell in a foreign land, and to give up all his worldly prospects, rather than by an act of disobedience to return to his native country, and thus to renounce his hope in the promises which God had made to him and to his posterity. These promises, the Apostle tells us, related to a "heavenly" country, of which Canaan itself, the promised land, was but a type; for, as is justly remarked in the Seventh Article of our church, "both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man: wherefore they are not to be heard, which feign that the old fathers did look only for transitory promises."" Indeed, so far from it, we are expressly told that Abraham "saw the day of Christ;" he looked forward by faith to his coming into the world to be " a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Israel," and he "was glad;" he rejoiced at the prospect, and reposed his trust in him as the promised Messiah, who should give himself a sacrifice for the sins of mankind, and open the gate of heaven to all believers. Now we all, as professed Christians, declare the same things. We, in words at least, acknowledge ourselves to be pilgrims and strangers upon earth: we admit, that the present world is a scene of temptation and danger; that its joys and its troubles must both soon pass away; and we profess to hope for a better country, for those mansions of eternal blessedness which the Saviour has gone before to prepare for all his faithful followers. But does our practice agree with our creed? We 66 say such things;" but do we seriously believe them? Do we, like the patriarchs of old, prove our faith by our works? Are we practically persuaded of the blessedness of a life of faith, and holiness, and dependence upon God? Do we "desire" above all things that "better," that "heavenly," country which is the object of our professed wishes? Do we seek to know how it may be obtained; and do we renounce whatever would interfere with a well-founded hope of being admitted to the enjoyment of it? |